Pete Thamel: ACC commissioner Jim Phillips is 'speculative favorite' to replace Kevin Warren as Big Ten boss

With the news breaking on Thursday that Kevin Warren will be vacating his post as Big Ten commissioner to take the President and CEO job with the Chicago Bears, a pertinent question emerges: Who will replace him? ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported recently on some of the names flying around in Los Angeles during the hoopla surrounding the College Football Playoff championship.

Among the favorites to get the job leading the Big Ten conference is current Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips. Phillips has been the ACC commissioner since 2021 and prior to that, he worked in the administration at Northwestern University, a Big Ten member school.

“He’ll be the speculative favorite within college athletics,” Thamel wrote.

Thamel noted that there is likely a desire among Big Ten university leaders to hire someone with college sports experience to lead the conference — Warren was an NFL lifer prior to his stint leading the Big Ten.

According to Thamel, the Big Ten needs “a consensus builder with experience on campus and someone willing to engage and build better relationships with the athletic directors. With the record-setting television contract opening up the cash flow and expansion tabled for a few years because of ambivalence and lack of profitable options, the next commissioner would need to dial in on governance and helping craft issues related to the future of the NCAA.”

Thamel reported that Warren has been evasive about the Bears job when speaking with Big Ten university leaders. On a Wednesday conference call with Big Ten athletic directors, Warren was reportedly evasive on the subject of his Bears candidacy. Thamel reported that after the call, a group of Big Ten athletic directors discussed replacements and life after Warren in the conference.

Warren has 18 months remaining on his contract and there has been no movement publicly to extend his deal. Thamel added that behind closed doors, the vibe is similar.

Warren had built up some goodwill with university presidents and athletic directors with the acquisition of USC and UCLA to join the league in 2024, but might have undone it with pushes to expanded further into the west. Thamel wrote that what Warren said publicly about expansion was seen among league decision makers as “clumsy and tone-deaf.”

Various leaders around the league also reportedly were bemused by the non-declarative statement from the Big Ten explaining Warren being tied to the Bears job following an initial ESPN report.

“Over the course of three decades in professional and collegiate sports, Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren regularly receives unique opportunities and request for his expertise from leaders across a variety of industries ranging from professional sports ownership groups to private equity firms. The Commissioner utilizes each occurrence to listen, learn and assist every stakeholder in the most appropriate and effective manner,” the league said in a statement on Dec. 29, 2022.